Content Standards: 12.E.1c Identify renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
ISTE NETS-S 2. Communication and collaboration 3. Research and information fluency 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making 6. Technology operations and concepts
Instructional Objectives:
To introduce students to wastewater treatment inChicagoand to impress upon them that they
are personally responsible for what goes down the drain.
Students learn about wastewater and where it goes when it leaves our homes. They learn the
basics processes of wastewater treatment.
ACTION
Before-Class Preparation: Mix up some “sewage water”: add such things as food coloring, pieces of paper, sticks, sand, vegetable oil, soap, etc. to tap water. Make at least 2 gallons. (Items added should either be visible or students should have a test to identify them (ex. pH paper). This will enable students to assess whether they removed the pollutant or not.)
Make the river model.
During Class
Time
15 mins
40 mins.
Instructional Activities
Show a short cartoon Ninja Turtles and have the students to observe the sewer system and what it does. Go on the internet and find a site for toilet flushing sound. Have a discussion in groups and have students to write down where they think the water is going once it leaves the toilet. I will tell the students that they are responsible for cleaning up the sewage water before it enters the river. Show them the model of the clean river that their treated sewage water will be dumped into. I will divide the class into groups and give them a wide variety of wastewater treatment building materials and a bucket of mock sewage water. I will advise students that they may want to try out several ideas, before committing to one idea. They also might want to link up several ideas into a series of treatments. When students have finished their design, have the students run one cup of mock sewage water through their model and then collect the treated water in their clear cup.
I will collect all the students treated wastewater. Then we will compare the different student groups’ cups to each other and to a glass of tap water and a glass of the original sewage water. Then I will dump all the students treated sewage water into the river and compare that water to tap water and the original sewage water.
Materials and Resources
Internet, pens and paper
straws, cups (which can be cut or hole punched), coffee filters, craft sticks, tape, glue, scissors, modeling clay, cotton balls, mesh
Clear glasses or bottles (about 10) River model: This can a bucket filled with tap water. ♦ Buckets or used plastic bottles (1 for each group of students) to be filled with mock sewage water ♦ Mock sewage water
Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: Students will be in groups of three. Try to put someone who is a strong reader, writer and speaker in each group.
MONITOR
Ongoing Assessment(s):
I will observe students as they discuss their sewage treatment how to use it. PAccommodations and Extensions: Those students who have difficulty writing, they can have an oral assessment. PBack-Up Plan:
Have students to make a mural of water and wastewater system. The mural will show the connecting water lines from the lake to the filtration plant to the students’ homes to the wastewater treatment plant and back into a river.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson:
I will have each group answer the following questions: ♦ Did their sewage treatment facilities clean-up the water? ♦ Did the addition of their treated wastewater impact the river? ♦ What do they think the consequence would be for the plants, animals and people depending on the river?
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES:
My students love hands on activity and they enjoyed watching dirty water become clean.
GOALS
12.E.1c
Identify renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
2. Communication and collaboration 3. Research and information fluency 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making 6. Technology operations and concepts
Instructional Objectives:
To introduce students to wastewater treatment inChicagoand to impress upon them that they
are personally responsible for what goes down the drain.
Students learn about wastewater and where it goes when it leaves our homes. They learn the
basics processes of wastewater treatment.
ACTION
Mix up some “sewage water”: add such things as food coloring, pieces of paper, sticks,
sand, vegetable oil, soap, etc. to tap water. Make at least 2 gallons. (Items added should
either be visible or students should have a test to identify them (ex. pH paper). This will
enable students to assess whether they removed the pollutant or not.)
Make the river model.
15 mins
40 mins.
Show a short cartoon Ninja Turtles and have the students to observe the sewer system and what it does. Go on the internet and find a site for toilet flushing sound. Have a discussion in groups and have students to write down where they think the water is going once it leaves the toilet.
I will tell the students that they are responsible for cleaning up the sewage water before it enters the river. Show them the model of the clean river that their treated sewage water will be dumped into. I will divide the class into groups and give them a wide variety of wastewater treatment building materials and a bucket of mock sewage water. I will advise students that they may want to try out several ideas, before committing to one idea.
They also might want to link up several ideas into a series of treatments. When students have finished their design, have the students run one cup of mock sewage water through their model and then collect the treated water in their clear cup.
I will collect all the students treated wastewater. Then we will compare the different student groups’ cups to each other and to a glass of tap water and a glass of the original sewage water.
Then I will dump all the students treated sewage water into the river and compare that water to tap water and the original sewage water.
Internet, pens and paper
straws, cups (which can be cut
or hole punched), coffee filters, craft sticks, tape, glue, scissors, modeling clay, cotton balls,
mesh
Clear glasses or bottles (about 10)
River model: This can a bucket filled with tap water.
♦ Buckets or used plastic bottles (1 for each group of students) to be filled with mock sewage
water
♦ Mock sewage water
MONITOR
I will observe students as they discuss their sewage treatment how to use it. P Accommodations and Extensions: Those students who have difficulty writing, they can have an oral assessment. P Back-Up Plan:
Have students to make a mural of water and wastewater system. The mural will show the connecting water lines from the lake to the filtration plant to the students’ homes to the wastewater treatment plant and back into a river.
EVALUATE AND EXTEND
I will have each group answer the following questions:
♦ Did their sewage treatment facilities clean-up the water?
♦ Did the addition of their treated wastewater impact the river?
♦ What do they think the consequence would be for the plants, animals and people depending on the river?
LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES:
My students love hands on activity and they enjoyed watching dirty water become clean.